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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. board — a committee
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bat — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bank — of a river
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for golf
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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