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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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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: can · prune · tear · arm · fork · net · bank · leaves

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. tear — to rip
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — in sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. net — after costs
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. net — for catching
  24. prune — to trim

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