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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: bank · content · row · leaves · pit · lean · calf · chair

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — happy
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chair — a leader
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pit — in a race

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