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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. row — a line
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. foot — a measure
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bank — of a river
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pound — for dogs

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