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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 · shower · can · wind · prune · trunk · hand · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hand — help
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — rain
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wind — moving 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