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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bank — of a river
  24. prune — the fruit

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