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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.

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 · saw · chair · rash · bound · hand · kick · scale

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bank — of a river
  6. scale — in music
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — for money
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — a series
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hand — in cards

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