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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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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 · fall · hand · bank · perch · leaves · toast · staff

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bank — of a river
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hand — help
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. toast — bread
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lean — thin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — to bend
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — in cards

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