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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: rock · jam · pass · stem · leaves · shower · bound · mine

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. shower — rain
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bound — obliged
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rock — music

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