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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — a match
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bank — for money
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bass — low music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. game — wild animals
  23. spell — letters
  24. bank — of a river

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