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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.

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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: season · content · stem · saw · wave · bound · drill · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stem — to come from
  8. content — the amount
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — certain
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — in sport
  14. drill — army training
  15. season — of the year
  16. drill — a practice
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. drill — the tool

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