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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.

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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: coach · bank · net · kick · bass · safe · lean · spell

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — low music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. spell — magic
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — to bend
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — after costs
  22. bank — for money
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kick — in football

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