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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 124 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. track — to keep track
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. board — to get on
  8. row — to paddle
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a line
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. board — a committee
  23. track — a path
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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