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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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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — a safe
  9. court — of a king
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. court — for sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. court — of law

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