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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. net — in sport
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. net — after costs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — a hole
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — a division
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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