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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. branch — a division
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bass — low music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a bank

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