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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — final
  16. rash — hasty
  17. last — to go on
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — of water
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spring — the season
  23. last — finally
  24. rash — on the skin

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