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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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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: bear · staff · fall · mug · bank · firm · leaves · stick

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mug — a cup
  7. firm — steady
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — the season
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — a stick
  15. firm — a company
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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