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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ball — a dance
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. date — the fruit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — a gift
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — a division
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — the season
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. fall — to drop

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