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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: kid · rock · prune · rush · wake · bulb · pass · rule

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rule — a law
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — government
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — to trim
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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