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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stem — to come from
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a music group
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. band — a ring
  17. fine — high quality
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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