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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: bank · lean · fan · ball · stand · last · mark · file

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. bank — for money
  2. file — a document
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stand — to bear
  13. last — final
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mark — a trace
  17. last — to go on
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. last — finally
  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