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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — in football
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bass — low music
  7. content — the amount
  8. bass — the fish
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fall — the season
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bass — the instrument

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