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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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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: rock · prune · bay · racket · foot · bank · shower · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rock — a stone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. shower — rain
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. racket — a loud noise

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