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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — farmland
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. field — for sport
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. spring — the season
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. spring — of water
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. foot — a measure
  24. field — a subject

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