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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: stand · root · wound · bank · fall · mug · spell · club

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — the season
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a face
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. spell — magic
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. root — of a word
  21. bank — for money
  22. mug — a cup
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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