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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: toast · mine · wound · lean · craft · bank · arm · stand

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bank — for money
  3. mine — for digging
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lean — to bend
  6. toast — bread
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lean — thin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bank — of a river
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. toast — the most admired

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