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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: fork · board · stand · mug · stem · bank · wake · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mug — a face
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — rain
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. board — a committee
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mug — a cup
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. board — to get on

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