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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · tube · land · stand · spring · face · fine · fork

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — a coil
  6. land — ground
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spring — the season
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spring — of water
  14. face — to confront
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. face — part of the head
  17. land — a country
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. face — to point toward

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