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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. drill — army training
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — to come from
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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