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

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rush — hurry
  8. net — after costs
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — to come from
  14. net — for catching
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — a permit

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