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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. last — finally
  3. fall — the season
  4. bank — for money
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cue — a hint
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — to go on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — of a river
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — final
  20. cue — for pool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rest — what's left

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