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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. field — a subject
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. object — a thing
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — farmland
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. field — for sport
  11. object — to protest
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — in cards
  19. band — a ring
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. object — an aim

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