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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bound — tied together
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fine — all right
  11. ground — the earth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bound — certain
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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