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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: date · prune · racket · snap · bank · lash · bore · fork

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to click
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bore — to drill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — of a river
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — for tennis

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