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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — for money
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. cell — in biology
  14. clip — a video
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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