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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: ball · mate · stick · tear · lean · chip · prune · rush

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ball — a dance
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — to trim
  24. 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