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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. court — of a king
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. court — for sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fine — high quality
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. stem — to come from
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — a tool
  22. court — of law
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kick — in football

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