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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: lean · sharp · wound · present · bank · mate · snap · mug

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. present — a gift
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — to breed
  10. present — the time now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — a face
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. present — there
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to click
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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