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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. club — for dancing
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — a group
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. row — a line
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. club — for golf
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. trunk — of a car

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