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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · cabinet · wave · bank · march · stem · object · field

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mate — to breed
  3. field — for sport
  4. bank — of a river
  5. march — the month
  6. field — farmland
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. march — music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. march — the month
  16. object — a thing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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