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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rest — what's left
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — for paper
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rest — a break
  24. bear — to put up with

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