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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · bank · tube · land · lean · calf · fan · content

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. lean — thin
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. content — the amount
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chair — a leader
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. land — a country
  23. content — happy
  24. tube — a container

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