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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — a leader
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. spring — the season
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — of water
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — on your feet

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