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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. present — a gift
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hand — help
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — there
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bank — of a river
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — to keep track
  22. present — the time now
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. track — a path

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