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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: ground · toast · club · calf · bank · suit · leaves · wound

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ground — the earth
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bank — of a river
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. club — for golf
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. suit — to fit
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — bread

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