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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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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: bay · bank · kick · staff · board · stick · prune · tube

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — the underground
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — to get on
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — a flat piece

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