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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: plane · present · can · prune · mouse · rush · cell · wake

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cell — in biology
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. can — to be able to

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