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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: fall · prune · cap · cabinet · rest · content · bank · staff

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rest — a break
  5. fall — the season
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — employees
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a hat
  24. content — happy

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