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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 120 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: ruler · leaves · clip · content · club · wave · stem · bank

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. clip — a video
  19. content — happy
  20. club — a group
  21. clip — to cut
  22. content — the amount
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stem — a stem cell

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