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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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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: chair · lean · squash · racket · key · bank · bay · shower

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chair — a leader
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. squash — to crush
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — the most important part
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bank — of a river
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bank — for money
  23. shower — rain
  24. key — in music

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