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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: stand · pop · land · file · hide · bound · bank · roll

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bank — for money
  5. roll — a cake
  6. land — to come down
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bound — certain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. roll — a list
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. file — a tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — to bear
  22. land — ground
  23. file — a document
  24. bound — obliged

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