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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. shower — to wash
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. shower — rain
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fine — all right
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — a permit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — high quality

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