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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — of water
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. current — happening now
  7. stand — to bear
  8. net — for catching
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. face — to point toward
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. face — to confront
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — electric
  18. net — after costs
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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