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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 120 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: present · board · prune · rest · bank · wound · snap · sharp

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. prune — to trim
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — to get on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — there
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bank — of a river
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — the time now
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rest — a break
  22. board — a committee
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wound — an injury

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