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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — wild animals
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lean — thin
  9. game — a match
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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