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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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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 · wake · squash · rock · wind · rest · nail · swing

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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 — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rock — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rock — a stone
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. swing — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — a break
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — to crush
  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