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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: fall · fan · firm · stock · pass · pound · branch · temple

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. firm — a company
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pass — a permit
  7. firm — steady
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — shares
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — a division
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. firm — decided
  24. fan — a supporter

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