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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: bank · saw · fan · stand · perch · ground · bark · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — to shout
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fan — a supporter

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