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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — final
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hand — help
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. last — finally
  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