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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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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: jam · lean · chair · bank · mug · date · toast · kick

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mug — a face
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chair — a leader
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mug — to rob
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mug — a cup
  17. toast — bread
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. kick — in football

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