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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: leaves · bank · spell · track · rule · prune · plane · drill

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. drill — army training
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bank — of a river
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spell — magic
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. prune — to trim
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. track — a song
  15. rule — a law
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bank — for money
  22. track — a path
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rule — government

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