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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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Word bank
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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: club · straw · leaves · stand · nail · wave · stem · bank

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bank — for money
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. club — for golf
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. club — for dancing
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. club — a group
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stand — on your feet

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