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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — of a river
  11. march — music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bank — for money
  14. march — the month
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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