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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: snap · fork · prune · stick · bay · bank · drill · charge

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. charge — in control
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to click
  17. charge — a price
  18. fork — in a road
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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