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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. shower — rain
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bore — to drill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. object — an aim
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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