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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 124 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — a box
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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