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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 · land · cold · can · tear · pass · mug · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — for money
  7. land — a country
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mug — to rob
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cold — not warm
  16. land — to come down
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — for money
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mug — a cup
  21. land — ground
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — a face

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