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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — a line
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stem — to come from
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a quarrel

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