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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cell — a phone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cell — in biology
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — a loud noise

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