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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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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 · craft · fall · stand · band · bank · jam · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. craft — boats
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fall — the season
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fall — to drop
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. toast — bread
  24. craft — a handicraft

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