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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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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: bank · fine · wound · mark · wake · prune · rule · wave

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fine — all right
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rule — government
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rule — a law
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rule — to rule out
  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