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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.

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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: snap · cabinet · lean · field · bank · club · leaves · board

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — to get on
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. board — a committee
  14. lean — thin
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. field — a subject
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — to bend
  24. club — for golf

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