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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 116 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: bank · wind · present · rock · kid · pitcher · stem · mouse

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. present — there
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — music
  19. present — a gift
  20. rock — a stone
  21. present — the time now
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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