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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — in a road
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — in sport
  15. hand — help
  16. face — to confront
  17. bank — for money
  18. race — humankind
  19. face — part of the head
  20. race — a contest
  21. face — to point toward
  22. net — for catching
  23. race — the arms race
  24. net — after costs

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