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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. current — happening now
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bank — of a river
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — a series
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tear — from crying
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — hasty
  19. current — electric
  20. race — humankind
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — help

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