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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — a position
  4. object — an aim
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — the earth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. object — a thing
  14. fall — the season
  15. ground — crushed
  16. object — to protest
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. bank — for money

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