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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — steady
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. field — for sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — decided
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. field — a subject
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — a company

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