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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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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: kid · pit · bank · lean · cabinet · bear · wave · staff

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bear — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lean — to bend
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bank — for money
  24. kid — to tease

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