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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: rush · saw · spring · trunk · hand · prune · bank · mark

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spring — of water
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a grade
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — of a river
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spring — the season
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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