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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — the season
  5. lie — to recline
  6. land — ground
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bank — for money
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. cabinet — ministers

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