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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
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: bound · bank · hide · sharp · stick · lean · racket · straw

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bank — of a river
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — clever

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