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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 120 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 · season · cold · charge · rash · bank · pit · vault

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bank — of a river
  3. vault — a safe
  4. charge — in control
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. season — of the year
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — a hole
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rash — hasty
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cold — not warm
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. charge — a price
  22. season — in sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

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