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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · saw · club · pass · pound · mouse · trunk

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. saw — the tool
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. club — for golf
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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