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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: bank · fall · pop · bear · firm · staff · wind · mine

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fall — the season
  3. staff — employees
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. firm — decided
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — steady
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. firm — a company
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — moving air

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