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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chest — a box
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. present — a gift
  8. bank — for money
  9. fine — all right
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — the time now
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — there
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fine — high quality

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