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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.

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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: shower · branch · suit · bank · lean · fan · last · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — finally
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — final
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. shower — rain
  15. lean — thin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. last — to go on

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