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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · leaves · pit · straw · lean · march · bank · sharp

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bank — for money
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pit — in a race
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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