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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. branch — a division
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cold — an illness
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rock — music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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