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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — a gift
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. present — there
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mate — a partner
  10. shower — rain
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mate — to breed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a friend
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. season — in sport
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — the time now
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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