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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — completely
  6. swing — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spell — magic
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. march — the month
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tear — to rip
  19. march — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — to confront
  23. spell — a short time
  24. swing — in golf

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