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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — to rob
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. swing — to play on
  11. deal — to handle
  12. land — to come down
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. swing — music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mug — a face
  17. kick — in football
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bank — of a river
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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