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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chest — a box
  7. object — to protest
  8. bank — for money
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — of a river
  12. object — a thing
  13. rash — a series
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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