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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — the cause
  7. bank — of a river
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. prune — to trim
  19. branch — a division
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — hurry
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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