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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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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: rest · mine · straw · bore · racket · season · leaves · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bore — to tire
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rest — a break
  13. mine — for digging
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. season — in sport
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. season — of the year
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — gave birth

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