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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: saw · shower · chair · suit · lean · pit · kick · leaves

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. suit — to fit
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lean — thin
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pit — in a race
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. shower — rain
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lean — to bend
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kick — in football
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pit — a hole
  24. kick — a thrill

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