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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: bank · stem · cabinet · straw · band · trunk · jam · racket

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. band — a music group
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — of a river
  13. band — a ring
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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