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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: bank · saw · present · wave · kick · hide · mouse · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. present — a gift
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — in football
  19. present — there
  20. bank — of a river
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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