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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: rush · bass · net · perch · patient · prune · bank · leaves

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. net — after costs
  4. bass — low music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — hurry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — in sport
  9. bank — of a river
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. net — for catching
  23. bass — the fish
  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