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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: jam · snap · club · lean · stem · rock · bank · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — for money
  12. club — for golf
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — of a river
  15. snap — to click
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stem — to come from
  19. club — a group
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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