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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — to be able to
  8. present — a gift
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — for betting
  15. present — the time now
  16. kid — child
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bank — of a river
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a partner

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