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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: wake · wind · file · fan · prune · bank · bore · key

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — in music
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bank — of a river
  11. file — a document
  12. bore — to drill
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. file — a tool
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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