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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — music
  10. content — happy
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. march — the month
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. content — the amount
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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