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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bound — tied together
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — certain
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — a division

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