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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rash — a series
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — a division
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. prune — the fruit

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