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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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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: tube · bank · lean · fork · cold · bowl · suit · mate

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bank — for money
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lean — thin
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bank — for money
  22. cold — an illness
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mate — to breed

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