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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: toast · firm · rash · stick · stem · pound · spring · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. firm — a company
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — decided
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spring — of water
  13. toast — bread
  14. spring — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — of a river
  24. firm — steady

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