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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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Word bank
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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: prune · bat · hide · tube · season · bound · bank · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. season — of the year
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tube — a container
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — tied together
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. season — in sport
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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