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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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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: suit · dip · wind · bank · board · prune · last · bark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. last — final
  3. board — a committee
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. board — to get on
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — in cards
  14. last — to go on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. last — finally
  17. bank — of a river
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — to shout
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — to fit

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