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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a line
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bank — of a river
  13. object — an aim
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. object — a thing
  24. cell — in biology

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com