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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — in sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bank — for money
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fork — in a road
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. band — a music group
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a ring
  18. prune — to trim
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — for catching
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — a garden tool

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