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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 120 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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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: wake · kick · rule · wave · pound · bank · track · prune

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rule — government
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. track — a song
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — a law
  20. track — a path
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — in football

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