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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — for money
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lean — to bend
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lean — thin
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. shower — rain
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — to go away

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