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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. drill — a practice
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. content — the amount
  15. roll — a list
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stem — to come from
  24. drill — army training

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