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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a line of people
  5. object — to protest
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. club — for golf
  8. file — a document
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. club — a group
  17. object — an aim
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — a thing
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bulb — for light

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