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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. board — a committee
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stock — goods
  17. cue — a signal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — to get on
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. spring — of water

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