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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. swing — to play on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — in sport
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. swing — music
  15. track — a path
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — in golf
  18. track — a song
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — after costs
  22. bank — for money
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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