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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · chair · date · hide · scale · plane · clip · bank

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. date — the fruit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — for paper
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — in music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — of a river
  15. clip — to cut
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lean — to bend
  20. clip — a video
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a leader

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