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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · pit · fan · rest · leaves · bank · staff · content

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rest — a break
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — of a river
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fan — a supporter

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