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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.

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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: hand · pop · capital · present · board · lean · bank · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — a gift
  7. lean — thin
  8. present — there
  9. pop — to visit
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pop — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. present — the time now
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hand — in cards
  17. capital — money
  18. board — a committee
  19. capital — a city
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — to get on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — soda

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