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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — to keep track
  5. band — a music group
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bark — to shout
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. band — a ring
  16. track — a path
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rock — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. track — a song
  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