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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.

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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: lean · last · mark · bank · calf · foot · band · chip

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — final
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. last — to go on
  6. chip — for betting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. foot — a measure
  10. last — finally
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — a trace
  13. band — a ring
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lean — thin
  19. mark — a grade
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. band — a music group
  24. lean — to bend

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