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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cell — in biology
  5. board — to get on
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stem — to come from
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — for money
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. staff — employees
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cell — a phone

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