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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — a trail
  5. snap — to click
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — to go on
  14. root — of a word
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. root — the cause
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — of a river
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. last — final

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