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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: bank · stem · net · bear · wind · tear

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — of a river
  15. net — for catching
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tear — from crying

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