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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. last — final
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. last — finally
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. last — to go on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — the month
  22. kick — in football
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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