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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spring — of water
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rock — music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spring — the season
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. clip — a video

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