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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lean — thin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — the cause
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pit — in a race
  13. charge — a price
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — a break
  16. lean — to bend
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — high quality
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a word
  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