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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bank — of a river
  3. march — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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