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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. snap — to click
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kid — child

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