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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: stem · ball · bear · pass · mark · bank · clip · shower

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stem — a stem cell

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