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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 · bank · leaves · game · bowl · content · bear · object

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — happy
  6. object — to protest
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — a match
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — to bend
  20. game — wild animals
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. object — an aim
  24. bowl — a dish

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