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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mine — for digging
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. scale — in music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tear — to rip
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — a permit

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