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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — the season
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — finally
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. last — final

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