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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: board · hand · bank · fall · perch · last · stand · key

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hand — help
  3. key — in music
  4. board — a committee
  5. last — finally
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — the most important part
  8. last — final
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — to bear
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — to get on
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. last — to go on

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