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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: fall · row · lash · fan · trunk · bank · chair · mark

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. row — a line
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — to drop
  12. row — to paddle
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chair — a leader
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fan — to cool the air

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