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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: last · lean · mark · bat · bowl · chest · suit · bear

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — to go on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. suit — to fit
  16. lean — to bend
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mark — a grade
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — thin
  24. bat — in an idiom

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