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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.

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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: mug · leaves · clip · can · jam · date · rest · bark

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mug — a cup
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mug — a face
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. can — a tin
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. clip — a video
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — in traffic

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