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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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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: stem · court · bank · lie · stick · net · bulb · cabinet

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — in sport
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — for money
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. court — of a king
  15. net — after costs
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — to come from
  23. net — for catching
  24. court — of law

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