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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. track — to keep track
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. track — a song
  11. row — a line
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. track — a path
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bank — of a river

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