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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — a price
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — in control
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lean — to rest against

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