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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: bank · firm · wound · kid · bark · stem · foot · leaves

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bank — for money
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bank — of a river
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kid — child
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. firm — steady

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