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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bank — of a river
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — a series
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chest — of your body
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chest — a box
  22. rash — hasty
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. prune — the fruit

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