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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: clip · shower · straw · fork · wax · staff · bank · stem

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. staff — employees
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wax — to grow
  9. clip — a video
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. staff — a stick
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bank — for money
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — for money
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. shower — to wash

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