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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: date · bank · bowl · tube · rash · fall · firm · lean

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tube — the underground
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — a series
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — steady
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. tube — a container
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — hasty
  20. firm — decided
  21. fall — the season
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lean — to bend

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