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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: dip · rash · club · prune · rock · kick · patient · craft

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — in football
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rock — a stone
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rock — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. club — for golf
  15. rash — a series
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. craft — boats
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. club — a group
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for dancing
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. prune — to trim

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