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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bank — of a river
  11. craft — a skill
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tube — a container
  17. rest — a break
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. wound — an injury
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — to breed

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