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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: stem · mark · bank · wake · swing · patient · jam · can

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bank — of a river
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a trace
  24. swing — music

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