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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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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: staff · lean · cue · game · spell · leaves · bank · chair

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lean — to bend
  3. game — wild animals
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bank — of a river
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spell — magic
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cue — for pool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a leader
  19. game — a match
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — thin

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