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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: current · lean · cabinet · wind · bank · prune · bear · date

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — happening now
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — of water
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lean — thin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. lean — to rest against

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