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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. row — a line
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lean — thin
  8. bank — for money
  9. clip — for paper
  10. lean — to bend
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bank — of a river
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — the sport
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stand — to bear
  19. clip — a video
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — to crush
  24. clip — to cut

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