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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · bank · band · fall · stock · stem · fan · key

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — in music
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fall — the season
  9. stock — shares
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bank — of a river
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. band — a music group
  19. stock — goods
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bank — for money

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