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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: object · bulb · bank · prune · key · can · staff · straw

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — a thing
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. object — an aim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. staff — employees
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bank — of a river
  22. key — in music
  23. object — to protest
  24. can — to be able to

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