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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — a subject
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. game — a match
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. wax — to grow
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. safe — out of danger
  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