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

Word bank: chair · fall · content · stem · club · bank

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bank — of a river
  5. club — for golf
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. stem — to come from
  11. content — the amount
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. content — happy
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. club — a group
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money

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