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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: cap · saw · bank · charge · drill · spring · prune · bark

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. bank — of a river
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — a practice
  19. spring — of water
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — the season
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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