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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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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: fall · stand · toast · bank · hand · pound · chair · current

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. current — electric
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fall — the season
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fall — to drop
  9. toast — bread
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bank — of a river
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — happening now
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — help

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