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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.

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: march · mug · dip · bank · stand · land · file · stick

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bank — of a river
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — to bear
  13. land — ground
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — a country
  19. dip — to sink
  20. march — music
  21. mug — a face
  22. land — to come down
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a line of people

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