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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chest — a box
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — help
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. prune — to trim
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — part of the body

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