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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: cap · straw · stand · bank · last · bulb · hide · ground

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. last — to go on
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bank — for money
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cap — a hat
  21. last — finally
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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