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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: rush · tear · mug · wake · prune · foot · leaves · stock

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — a face
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stock — shares
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tear — to rip
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — to rob

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