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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: spell · prune · pitcher · rush · tube · snap · mouse · chest

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chest — a box
  5. snap — to click
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spell — letters
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — hurry

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