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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: mate · fork · stand · jam · stem · wake · sharp · bound

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fork — in a road
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. sharp — clever

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