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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pit — in a race
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — a horse colour

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