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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. sharp — clever
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hand — help
  14. lean — thin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — to bear
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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