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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. staff — a stick
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — happening now
  21. fall — the season
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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