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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · prune · deal · can · last · bank

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. last — finally
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — final
  10. can — a tin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — a trail
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. last — to go on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — before a funeral

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