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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bank — for money
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cold — an illness
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bank — for money
  15. chest — a box
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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