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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: rush · can · trunk · band · fine · saw · prune · mouse

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. can — to be able to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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