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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. fall — the season
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pass — a permit
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — the season
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fall — to drop

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