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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. press — to push
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wake — a trail
  14. press — newspapers
  15. content — happy
  16. stem — to come from
  17. content — the amount
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — certain
  24. stem — of a plant

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