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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cold — an illness
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — a list
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — a measure
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — not warm

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