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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
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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: spell · arm · present · cold · staff · lean · ground · bank

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cold — not warm
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. present — a gift
  5. spell — a short time
  6. present — there
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ground — a position
  9. present — the time now
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. staff — a stick
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spell — letters
  20. bank — for money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — magic
  24. cold — an illness

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