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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pop — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — certain
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mouse — for a computer

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