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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a great time
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. file — a tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. file — a document
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bank — for money
  24. pit — a hole

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