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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bound — tied together
  3. clip — to cut
  4. row — to paddle
  5. clip — a video
  6. bank — of a river
  7. row — a line
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — the time now
  15. bound — certain
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — the fruit
  18. present — there
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. clip — for paper

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