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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. file — a tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. file — a document
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a line of people
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chair — a leader
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — a coil

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