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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mug — a cup
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bank — for money
  24. shower — rain

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