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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lean — thin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. object — an aim
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. object — a thing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — the season
  19. firm — steady
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — to protest
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lean — to bend

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