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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: bowl · jam · stand · fan · bank · wind · date · saw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fan — a supporter

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