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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: tube · ground · branch · stand · lie · fan · bank · trunk

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — a container
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — a position
  10. stand — to bear
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — to recline

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