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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — to confront
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bank — of a river
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — obliged
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. club — for golf
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. spring — of water
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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