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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. key — in music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pit — a hole
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. content — the amount
  19. rest — a break
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hand — in cards
  22. content — happy
  23. hand — help
  24. key — for a lock

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