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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 124 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mug — a face
  3. capital — money
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. key — in music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bank — of a river
  14. capital — a city
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — there
  24. nail — for a hammer

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