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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: tear · leaves · fan · lean · chair · bank · lash · ball

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bank — of a river
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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