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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 happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stem — to come from
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cell — a phone
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cell — in biology
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stem — a stem cell

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