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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — in sport
  5. tear — to rip
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — after costs
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mug — a face
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — to rob
  21. field — a subject
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pit — in a race

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