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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. season — of the year
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. bass — the fish
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — in sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spell — magic
  24. season — to add flavour

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