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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: bank · leaves · season · bear · straw · row · pit · mark

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — of the year
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. season — in sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. row — to paddle

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