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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to sink
  5. staff — employees
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. snap — to click
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — to come from
  18. staff — a stick
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. land — to come down
  24. dip — to dunk

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