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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 120 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: mouse · bank · stand · band · wake · fan · firm · rest

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rest — a break
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. band — a ring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. band — a music group
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. firm — decided
  22. bank — of a river
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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