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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: pound · clip · stem · bear · rest · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pound — a weight
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. clip — a video
  16. rest — a break
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — to come from

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