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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: prune · rest · patient · branch · shower · suit · bass · racket

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the fish
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bass — low music
  13. rest — a break
  14. suit — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. branch — a division
  24. rest — what's left

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