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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. net — for catching
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — in music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stem — to come from
  15. net — after costs
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. branch — a division
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. net — in sport
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — size or range
  24. foot — the bottom

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