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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bank — of a river
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. foot — a measure
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. file — a tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. file — a document
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. racket — for tennis

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