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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cold — not warm
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bank — for money
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. last — finally
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. calf — a young animal

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