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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: rush · fall · perch · wax · land · stand · firm · bank

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. firm — a company
  7. bank — for money
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — decided
  11. land — a country
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fall — to drop
  15. land — to come down
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fall — the season
  22. stand — to bear
  23. firm — steady
  24. wax — to grow

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