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

Word bank: perch · stick · drill · stand · rock · bank · ground · tear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bank — for money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ground — a position
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — to bear

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