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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. race — humankind
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — a contest
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. game — a match
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wake — a trail
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — a hole
  21. race — the arms race
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wind — moving air
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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