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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: date · bank · stem · stock · spring · band · wound · suit

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stem — to come from
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — for money
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spring — the season
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stock — goods
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. suit — to fit
  20. band — a ring
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — of water

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