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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: bank · pitcher · bay · season · row · wound · snap · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. snap — to click
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wound — an injury
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — of the year
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. row — a line
  23. season — in sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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