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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: bank · lean · fan · rest · wake · rash · bowl · mine

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — a series
  24. wake — a trail

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