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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. land — ground
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — of a river
  22. land — a country
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. perch — the fish

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