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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: bank · stem · sharp · wax · ground · row · toast · spring

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spring — of water
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. row — to paddle
  6. spring — the season
  7. stem — to come from
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. toast — bread
  11. row — a line
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bank — of a river
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ground — a position
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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