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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bank — for money
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. craft — boats
  11. tear — from crying
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wake — a trail
  17. track — a path
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — a song
  20. bank — of a river
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tear — from crying

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