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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pop — soda
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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