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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bank — for money
  10. club — a group
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cap — of ice
  19. deal — to handle
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hand — part of the body

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