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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — shares
  12. kick — in football
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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