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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. wound — an injury
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. land — a country
  23. fine — all right
  24. wound — an injury

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