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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — to protest
  3. bank — of a river
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — a thing
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mark — a trace
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. track — a song
  23. object — an aim
  24. mark — a grade

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