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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.

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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: hide · fine · bat · chair · lean · racket · bank · net

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bank — for money
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. racket — a loud noise

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