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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 · season · bank · bat · bay · lean · fine · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fine — all right
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — of a river
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. season — in sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — thin
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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