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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: bank · key · hand · wind · mate · stem · stick · dip

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — in music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hand — in cards
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stem — to come from
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — moving air

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