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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: stem · pit · wake · wind · row · mark · tube · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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. stem — a stem cell
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tube — a container
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mark — a grade
  24. row — a line

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