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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bank — for money
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. hand — in cards
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — of a river
  10. dip — to sink
  11. clip — a video
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hand — help
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stand — to bear
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. clip — for paper
  24. foot — the bottom

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