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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bank — for money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. clip — a video
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pit — a hole
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — in a race

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