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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — for money
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. hand — help
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — in cards
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rule — a law

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