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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 · prune · land · date · wave · ground · dip · foot

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. land — a country
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ground — crushed
  10. foot — a measure
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. land — to come down
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ground — a position
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. land — ground
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. prune — to trim

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