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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · bank · leaves · suit · tear · kid

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. kid — child
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a leader
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tear — to rip
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bank — for money
  18. suit — to fit

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