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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spell — letters
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — of a river
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — a short time
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — certain
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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