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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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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. foot — a measure
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to bend
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a match
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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