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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — for golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. club — for dancing
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bank — of a river
  15. club — a group
  16. ball — a dance
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. shower — rain
  19. kick — in football
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ball — a round shape

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