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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. drill — army training
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. toast — bread
  12. row — a line
  13. drill — a practice
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bank — of a river
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. drill — the tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pass — a permit

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