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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rest — a break
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — in football
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — 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