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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · wake · wound · leaves · hide · squash · bulb · bank

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — to go away

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