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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tube — a container
  5. game — wild animals
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bank — for money
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. game — a match
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — army training
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — with an edge

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