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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. bank — of a river
  8. net — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — a company
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. firm — steady
  14. kick — in football
  15. firm — decided
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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