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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 120 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: prune · mug · shower · arm · kick · dip · bank · stick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — of a river
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. shower — rain
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — a face
  16. bank — for money
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to dunk

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