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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 · wax · mate · fan · arm · hand · prune · wake

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — a trail
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a friend
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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