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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: patient · content · stem · bank · leaves · mark · fall · craft

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. content — happy
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bank — for money
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. content — the amount
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. craft — boats
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — a skill
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fall — the season

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