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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. last — to go on
  3. field — a subject
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. last — final
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. last — finally
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lean — thin
  19. field — farmland
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. field — for sport

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