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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
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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: lean · bank · pass · row · key · content · prune · land

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. land — a country
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lean — thin
  7. row — a line
  8. content — the amount
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — in music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. land — to come down
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. content — happy
  16. key — for a lock
  17. land — ground
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bank — of a river
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pass — to succeed

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