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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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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: bulb · present · land · stem · capital · bank · bay · wave

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. land — ground
  5. capital — money
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. present — a gift
  8. capital — a city
  9. present — there
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bank — of a river
  18. land — a country
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. present — the time now
  21. land — to come down
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wave — of the sea

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