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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.

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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: fan · lean · shower · leaves · bank · roll · coach · rest

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bank — for money
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. shower — rain
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — a break

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