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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: face · wake · bank · stem · chair · jam · prune · perch

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. stem — to come from
  5. face — to confront
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — a trail
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bank — of a river

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