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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spring — of water
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — of a river
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. spring — the season
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hand — help
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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