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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: prune · bank · charge · mark · fall · stem · jam · dip

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stem — to come from
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bank — of a river
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — electricity
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fall — the season
  17. mark — a trace
  18. charge — a price
  19. mark — a grade
  20. charge — in control
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stem — of a plant

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