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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bank · stem · racket · mouse · wound · lean · last · face

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — final
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. lean — to bend
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. face — to confront
  24. mouse — for a computer

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