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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kid — child
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — low music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. plane — a tool

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