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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: prune · tube · cold · cabinet · bank · spell · fan · board

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — not warm
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cold — an illness
  9. tube — a container
  10. spell — magic
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a committee
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. tube — the underground
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — letters
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — to get on

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