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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bat — the animal
  14. key — in music
  15. rest — a break
  16. bank — for money
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. dip — to sink

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