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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 116 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: firm · wake · kick · band · rock · stem · spring · saw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. spring — the season
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spring — of water
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spring — a coil
  24. firm — steady

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