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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: stand · spring · stem · bank · kick · wax · date · rush

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spring — the season
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — of water
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — a coil
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — to hurry

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