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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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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: mate · stand · prune · mark · bank · file · rest · fall

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a line of people
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — of a river
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. file — a tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fall — the season
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — a friend
  22. file — a document
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — on your feet

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