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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spring — a coil
  10. kid — child
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — of the year
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lean — thin
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spring — the season
  20. fork — in a road
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — in sport
  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