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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — a series
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wind — moving air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bank — for money
  24. bear — the animal

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