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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: rock · bank · drill · bore · prune · can · rest · wind

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — of a river
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. drill — army training
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — a tin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — a stone
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rest — a break
  23. bank — for money
  24. bore — gave birth

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