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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: kick · prune · swing · bore · bulb · hand · rush · wake

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hand — help
  16. kick — in football
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wake — a trail
  23. hand — in cards
  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