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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a great time
  3. roll — a cake
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spell — letters
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. bank — for money

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