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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: shower · racket · face · staff · ground · lean · bank · straw

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ground — a position
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. face — part of the head
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. shower — rain
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. face — to confront
  17. lean — thin
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ground — crushed
  23. shower — to wash
  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