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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 120 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: wake · can · staff · rush · bound · bat · net · stem

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. bound — certain
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stem — to come from
  9. net — for catching
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — hurry
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — the animal

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