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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · roll · trunk · field · bank · stand · cold · key

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — a subject
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. field — for sport
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bank — of a river
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. roll — a list
  16. field — farmland
  17. stand — to bear
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bank — for money
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bank — for money

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