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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bank · prune · straw · bear · scale · mine · leaves · date

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bear — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. scale — in music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. scale — size or range
  23. date — the fruit
  24. straw — dry grass

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