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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. clip — to cut
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. court — of law
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — for sport
  13. clip — for paper
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — of a king
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. bear — the animal

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