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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pop — soda
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — to visit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fall — the season
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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