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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — a box
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — thin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. scale — in music
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pound — a weight

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