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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — steady
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — to push
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — newspapers
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cold — not warm
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. club — for golf
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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