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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fine — all right
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. tear — from crying
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for dancing
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tear — to rip
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — a group
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fine — high quality
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rest — a break
  24. bank — for money

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