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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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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: dip · toast · bank · rest · prune · march · spell · pit

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spell — a short time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — of a river
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. march — the month
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. march — music
  19. rest — a break
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — letters
  24. rest — what's left

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