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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: saw · bank · bay · wake · patient · stem · bowl · current

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. current — of water
  7. wake — a trail
  8. current — happening now
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — electric
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  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