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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: snap · swing · lean · prune · stand · spell · fan · bank

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lean — to bend
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — to trim
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — thin
  20. spell — letters
  21. snap — to click
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stand — on your feet

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