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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 · current · craft · stem · press · wound · last · bank

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. craft — boats
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. press — a publisher
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. current — electric
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — to go on
  24. wound — an injury

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