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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — to recline
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bank — of a river
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. staff — employees
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. bank — for money
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bat — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — a sick person

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