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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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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: clip · safe · bank · prune · ground · last · ball · leaves

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ground — the earth
  9. last — finally
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. clip — a video
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — a position
  15. last — to go on
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a great time
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a dance

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