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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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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: fall · stick · stand · fork · wound · hide · bass · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stand — on your feet

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