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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: racket · stem · bank · foot · hand · wake · lean · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wake — a trail
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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