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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · fan · rule · wave · prune · bank · lean · game

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — a match
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rule — government
  10. prune — to trim
  11. club — a group
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — for golf
  22. rule — a law
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — to rule out

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