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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bank — for money
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. branch — a division
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. band — a music group
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a ring
  24. bulb — 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