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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.

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: jam · mine · perch · root · last · leaves · bank · craft

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. craft — boats
  3. last — finally
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. last — to go on
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — of a river
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. last — final
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mine — for digging
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. root — the cause
  22. craft — a skill
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mine — belonging to me

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