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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: bark · cabinet · bank · mark · rush · prune · lean · object

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. object — to protest
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. object — an aim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lean — thin
  21. object — a thing
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — of a river

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