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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.

Words on the sheet
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: straw · game · swing · stem · bank · racket · nail · tube

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. tube — a container
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. swing — in golf
  17. game — a match
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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