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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. branch — a division
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bank — of a river
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tear — to rip
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tear — from crying

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