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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. dip — to sink
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. last — final
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bore — to tire
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — of a river
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. last — finally
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — to dunk

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