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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: fall · bank · mouse · hide · coach · firm · board · lean

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. board — a committee
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bank — of a river
  10. firm — decided
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. firm — steady
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — the season
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — to drop
  23. board — to get on
  24. firm — a company

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