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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — a break
  3. bank — of a river
  4. roll — a cake
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — what's left
  7. roll — a list
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. perch — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — low music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — to come from
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stem — of a plant

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