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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · tube · snap · stand · bank · drill · sharp · saw

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — a practice
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — the underground
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. snap — to click
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. drill — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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