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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.

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: stick · bear · file · game · ground · bank · fine · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — a match
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. file — a tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a document
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fine — a penalty

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