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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rush — hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wound — an injury
  15. field — for sport
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a grade
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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