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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mug — to rob
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — for money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mug — a cup
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — the fruit
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. date — on the calendar

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