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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. perch — the fish
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bore — to tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to bend
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bore — to drill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — a match
  22. deal — to handle
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lean — thin

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