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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chip — to eat
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fall — the season
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bat — the animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — thin
  24. bank — of a river

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