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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ball — a dance
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spring — of water
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — a country
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spring — the season
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. lean — thin

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