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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. shower — rain
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — for money
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stem — to come from
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a dance
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. object — to protest

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