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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: fall · prune · squash · pass · bank · ruler · trunk · spring

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — the season
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spring — the season
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — a coil
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spring — of water
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. ruler — for measuring

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