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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 116 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: cabinet · bank · saw · prune · last · coach · wake · wave

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — finally
  5. bank — for money
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. last — final
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. last — to go on
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bank — for money
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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