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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mug — a face
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — a division
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bank — for money
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — a match

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