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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — a coil
  8. court — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bank — of a river
  19. court — of a king
  20. spring — of water
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. court — of law
  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