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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: fan · pass · bore · rule · firm · stock · bank · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. firm — steady
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rule — a law
  13. firm — a company
  14. lean — thin
  15. bank — of a river
  16. firm — decided
  17. rule — government
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — for money

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