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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 116 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: row · can · staff · leaves · wound · wind · file · bear

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. staff — employees
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. file — a document
  6. can — to be able to
  7. row — a line
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wind — moving air
  10. file — a tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wound — an injury
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a line of people
  24. staff — a stick

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