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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. lean — thin
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lean — to bend
  18. snap — to click

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