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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mate — a friend
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mate — a partner
  7. key — in music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chest — a box
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — boats
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — for catching

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