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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · straw · scale · bank · present · arm · spring · stem

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — in music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. spring — a coil
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spring — the season
  15. bank — of a river
  16. present — a gift
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — of water
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. arm — a part of something

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