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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. firm — a company
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — steady
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. season — in sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hand — help
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hide — animal skin

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