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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: bound · rock · bank · mark · root · date · prune · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wake — a trail
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rock — music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mark — a grade
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. mark — a trace
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. root — of a word
  21. bound — tied together
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — certain
  24. mark — to pay attention

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