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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fall — the season
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. roll — a list
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. land — to come down
  17. stand — to bear
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — for spectators

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