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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 · fall · net · bank · safe · cabinet · current · spring

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bank — for money
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — after costs
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — in sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — electric
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spring — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. net — for catching
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spring — the season

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