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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rest — a break
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. field — farmland
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — happy
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — the amount
  24. bank — of a river

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