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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 116 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: prune · clip · wake · club · rash · object · rush · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. object — to protest
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rash — a series
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. object — a thing
  16. club — a group
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — an aim
  24. clip — for paper

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