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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. capital — a city
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — army training
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — of a river
  12. present — the time now
  13. current — of water
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. present — a gift
  16. capital — money
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. current — happening now
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. drill — a practice

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