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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 120 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: season · band · stem · wind · bay · leaves · row · bore

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — to drill
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. row — a line
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. season — in sport
  15. band — a music group
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. band — a rubber band

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