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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cold — an illness
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. roll — a list
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — the sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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