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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — a series
  8. pop — soda
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — to visit
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — of a river

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