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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: mark · stem · hand · bass · bank · nail · leaves · lean

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hand — help
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bank — for money
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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