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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. track — a path
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. track — a song
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — of ice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bank — of a river
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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