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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 116 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: stick · bank · bear · lean · capital · prune · craft · file

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — of a river
  6. capital — money
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — boats
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. file — a document
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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