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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — a law
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a match
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rule — government
  14. game — wild animals
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. arm — a part of something

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