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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mate — to breed
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a partner
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — in sport
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mine — for digging
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. jam — in traffic

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