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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: leaves · rock · perch · land · stem · bulb · wake · band

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. band — a ring
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. land — to come down
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rock — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — ground
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. land — a country
  16. stem — to come from
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rock — a stone
  19. band — a music group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stem — a stem cell

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