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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. shower — to wash
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spring — the season
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — rain
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spring — a coil
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pass — a permit
  15. last — finally
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — a division
  18. last — final
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. roll — a cake
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. roll — a list
  23. last — to go on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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