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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bank — for money
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — hurry
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — in control
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — to come from

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