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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spell — a short time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — a trace
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. band — a ring

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