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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rash — hasty
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — of a river
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — a series
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — to drill
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. clip — a video

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