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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. file — a line of people
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — a path
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bank — for money
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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