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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bank — for money
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — of a river

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