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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 116 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: bass · prune · sharp · squash · spell · fall · patient · rush

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. sharp — clever
  5. squash — the sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bass — low music
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bass — the fish
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spell — a short time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — hurry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bass — the instrument

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