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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 · tube · bank · rest · straw · ruler · snap

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — a container
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. club — for golf
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — for dancing
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rest — what's left

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