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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · stick · rash · mate · present · trunk · bowl · net

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. net — in sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — a series
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. net — for catching
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mate — to breed
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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