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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.

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: land · rock · jam · bank · bass · snap · patient · stem

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. snap — to click
  3. bank — for money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. land — to come down
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. land — a country
  16. rock — music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. land — ground
  21. rock — a stone
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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