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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a music group
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. band — a ring
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bank — of a river

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