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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — a position
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ball — a great time
  24. hand — help

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