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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: mug · stem · court · tear · straw · mark · key · bank

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. key — the most important part
  8. court — of law
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. court — of a king
  18. tear — to rip
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — for money
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — a face

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