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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: prune · bank · rest · hand · last · stand · mark · cue

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — final
  9. cue — for pool
  10. last — to go on
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cue — a signal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rest — a break
  22. last — finally
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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