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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: patient · saw · fall · roll · pass · can · stock · bank

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. can — to be able to
  10. roll — a cake
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. roll — a list
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stock — shares
  20. can — a tin
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fall — to drop

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