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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · court · tear · rock · bank · bowl · arm · saw

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rock — a stone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bank — for money
  14. tear — to rip
  15. court — of a king
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. court — of law
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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