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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: lean · perch · stick · dip · fan · bank · capital · pitcher

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. perch — the fish
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — thin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fan — a supporter

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