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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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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: wave · track · lean · stick · bank · suit · bowl · kid

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lean — thin
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. track — a song
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kid — child
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. track — to keep track

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