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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mug — a face
  6. drill — a practice
  7. file — a tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. file — a document
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bank — for money

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