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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · suit · bank · cue · trunk · clip · stand · content

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — in cards
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — to fit
  8. content — happy
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cue — a hint
  16. clip — to cut
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cue — a signal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. content — the amount
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. clip — a video

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