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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — of a king
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — a face
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — to handle
  11. court — for sport
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bank — for money
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wind — to turn a key

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