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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: rock · bank · club · wake · hide · prune · stick · mark

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rock — a stone
  13. club — a group
  14. rock — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. club — for golf
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mark — a grade
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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