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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wound — an injury
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. toast — bread
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bank — of a river
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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