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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cell — in biology
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cell — in a prison

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