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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — all right
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bank — of a river
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lean — thin
  11. season — in sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. key — in music
  17. season — of the year
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fine — high quality
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lean — to bend
  24. leaves — lets stay

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