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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rule — government
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. march — the month
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. march — music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — boats
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. craft — a skill
  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