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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. file — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a document
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. object — to protest
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — an aim
  12. file — a line of people
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. object — a thing
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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