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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. foot — a measure

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