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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: lean · fall · bowl · bound · club · sharp · object · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lean — thin
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — to bend
  8. sharp — clever
  9. club — a group
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — a thing
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. club — for golf
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. object — an aim
  17. bound — certain
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fall — the season
  20. club — for dancing
  21. object — to protest
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. sharp — exactly

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