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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: bank · roll · perch · wake · mate · tube · stem · march

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wake — a trail
  6. roll — a cake
  7. march — music
  8. tube — a container
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. march — the month
  14. roll — a list
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bank — of a river
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tube — the underground

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