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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. branch — a division
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pit — in a race
  5. row — a line
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pit — a hole
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. leaves — of a tree

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