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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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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: spring · straw · bear · mug · pit · bank · face · stem

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. face — to confront
  5. pit — a hole
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — a face
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bank — for money
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mug — a cup
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spring — the season
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bear — the animal

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