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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 · rest · bear · bank · fan · squash · hand · cabinet

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rest — a break
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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