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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: last · stick · bark · tear · prune · chest · bank · straw

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — for money
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bank — of a river
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. last — finally
  19. chest — of your body
  20. last — to go on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. last — final
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tear — to rip

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