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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mug — a cup
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spring — the season
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bank — for money
  13. mug — a face
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spring — of water
  19. file — a line of people
  20. kick — in football
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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