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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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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: track · cold · toast · row · ruler · bank · stem · wake

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. row — to paddle
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. row — a line
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wake — a trail
  16. toast — bread
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. track — a song
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wake — before a funeral

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