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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: bark · rock · capital · current · stem · bank · rash · leaves

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — of water
  8. rash — a series
  9. current — electric
  10. capital — money
  11. current — happening now
  12. bark — to shout
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. capital — a city
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — for money
  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