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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hand — in cards
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hand — help
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bear — to put up with

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