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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: ball · mark · prune · foot · lean · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ball — a dance
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lean — to bend
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lean — thin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention

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