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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ground — a position
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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