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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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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: stem · pop · bank · fall · last · firm · mug · board

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. firm — a company
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pop — soda
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — finally
  10. pop — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bank — for money
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — final
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — to get on
  20. last — to go on
  21. mug — a face
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. fall — the season

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