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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
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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 · scale · stand · tube · wound · last · foot · bear

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — of a river
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — for money

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