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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: wind · toast · land · bank · bay · spell · current · stand

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. toast — bread
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — electric
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. spell — letters
  9. land — ground
  10. current — of water
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — happening now
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. land — a country
  21. spell — magic
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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