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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · shower · lean · bank · coach · saw · racket · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — a trail
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. shower — rain
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bank — for money
  24. shower — to wash

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