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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. firm — a company
  4. bank — for money
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — clever
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. firm — steady
  12. cell — in biology
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. shower — to wash
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — decided
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — rain
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cell — a phone

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