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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 120 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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468
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: bank · bowl · rock · rest · clip · tube · can · stem

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rest — a break
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. clip — for paper
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tube — a container
  14. bank — for money
  15. can — a tin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — to come from
  19. clip — a video
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. clip — to cut
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — the underground
  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