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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: calf · snap · mouse · prune · spring · bass · row · bank

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. row — a line
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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