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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — electricity
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. net — after costs
  7. stand — to bear
  8. charge — a price
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. charge — in control
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bank — for money
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. net — in sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. net — for catching
  24. bank — for money

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