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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fine — all right
  4. toast — bread
  5. snap — to click
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lean — to bend
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chip — for betting
  24. can — to be able to

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