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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — a gift
  6. bank — of a river
  7. swing — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. last — final
  10. present — the time now
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mug — to rob
  14. present — there
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. last — finally
  17. object — an aim
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — in golf
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. trunk — of a car

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