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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. band — a music group
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bore — to tire
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. craft — boats
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a ring
  19. rest — what's left
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bank — for money
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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