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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to click
  4. firm — a company
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. last — final
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — in cards
  12. last — finally
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — steady
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. firm — decided
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. last — to go on
  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