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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. prune — to trim
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. last — finally
  5. file — a document
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. file — a tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. toast — bread
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hand — help
  15. last — final
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — steady
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — to go on
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — in cards
  24. firm — decided

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