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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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