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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · cell · stick · bank · fine · leaves · straw · prune

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — of a river
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — for money

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