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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: pop · prune · leaves · wave · last · rush · ruler · racket

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. last — to go on
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. last — final
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — finally
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — soda
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — music

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