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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. shower — rain
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stand — to bear
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kick — in football

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