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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. snap — to click
  9. root — of a plant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. prune — to trim
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. root — of a word
  14. branch — a division
  15. charge — in control
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. root — the cause
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. charge — a price
  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