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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.

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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 · bank · pit · lean · staff · mine · leaves · fine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. staff — employees
  7. fine — all right
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — for digging
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fine — high quality
  18. staff — a stick
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rest — a break
  22. lean — thin
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pit — in a race

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