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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · bank · rash · stem · can · rest · bark · shower

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. shower — to wash
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. shower — rain
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — a series
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — to shout
  24. prune — the fruit

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