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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · rush · wake · bass · prune · coach

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bass — low music

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