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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wind — moving air
  3. firm — decided
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lean — thin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wind — moving air
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. firm — a company
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. band — a ring
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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