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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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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: spell · bat · bank · stem · kick · face · board · pitcher

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spell — letters
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spell — a short time
  11. board — to get on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kick — in football
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. face — to confront
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. board — a committee

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