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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 116 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rash — a series
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rash — hasty
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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