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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — to come from
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bank — of a river
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. press — newspapers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — to push
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — of water
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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