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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: stem · club · fork · cell · fall · bank · ruler · stand

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — the season
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bank — for money
  13. cell — in biology
  14. club — a group
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. club — for golf
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — a garden tool

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