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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 · court · kick · ruler · bear · mug · prune

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. bank — of a river
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — of a king

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