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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — farmland
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to click
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. field — a subject
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. field — for sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lean — thin
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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