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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mug — to rob
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pit — a hole
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rest — a break
  19. bank — for money
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a song

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