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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to tire
  5. squash — the sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bank — of a river
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lean — thin
  14. squash — to crush
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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