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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: shower · fork · bass · lean · bank · stick · mine · pass

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — low music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mine — belonging to me

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