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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: jam · bound · stand · row · mark · drill · wax · stem

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. drill — army training
  10. bound — certain
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — tied together
  18. row — to paddle
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. drill — a practice
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — obliged

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