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

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bank — for money
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mug — a cup
  10. row — a line
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. roll — a list
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wake — a trail
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mug — a face
  19. row — to paddle
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. staff — employees
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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