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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · plane · bank · can · perch · stand · spring · wake

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. perch — the fish
  5. plane — a tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spring — a coil
  11. can — to be able to
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — for a bird

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