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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 · wind · bank · spring · can · bore · pitcher · vault

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bore — to drill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spring — of water
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — a tin
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spring — the season
  24. vault — a safe

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