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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — a grade
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hand — in cards
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. club — for golf
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. face — part of the head
  24. club — a group

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