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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: spell · prune · net · cold · bank · court · wax · safe

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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. bank — of a river
  4. net — in sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. court — for sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. net — for catching
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — after costs
  21. spell — magic
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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