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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cap — a hat
  7. season — in sport
  8. row — a line
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — a lid
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — of the year
  17. row — to paddle
  18. band — a ring
  19. mug — to rob
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fall — the season

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