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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 116 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: bank · rest · prune · mark · row · staff · stick · shower

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — to paddle
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — a line
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a quarrel

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