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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. bank — for money
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fork — in a road
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fall — the season
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — for money
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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