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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — tied together
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bound — obliged
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stem — to come from
  10. season — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — certain

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