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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: bat · ball · lean · bank · chair · rush · sharp · suit

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lean — thin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bat — the animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a great time
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lean — to bend

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