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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: row · prune · rash · rush · hand · bay · season · current

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a line
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. current — electric
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. current — of water
  22. row — to paddle
  23. current — happening now
  24. hand — help

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