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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a music group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a document
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — of a river
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. file — a tool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. file — a line of people
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fork — in a road
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a ring
  24. board — a committee

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