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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: wound · stem · mine · suit · can · content · season · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — the amount
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — to fit
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. suit — clothes

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