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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — a song
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. last — final
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — to go on
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. last — finally
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a path

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