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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a ring
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spell — letters
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. leaves — to go away

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