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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: fan · fall · stick · capital · can · bear · stand · lash

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fall — to drop
  5. capital — money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — to be able to

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