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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. suit — to fit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chest — a box
  10. date — the fruit
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stem — to come from
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bank — for money
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — of a river
  24. date — on the calendar

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