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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mark — a trace
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bore — gave birth

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