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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. band — a music group
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a ring
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. track — to keep track
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. shower — rain
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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