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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lean — to bend
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stock — shares
  9. rash — a series
  10. roll — a list
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lean — thin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. band — a ring
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stock — goods
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. band — a music group
  24. stem — of a plant

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