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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · snap · kick · branch · rush · mouse · hide · nail

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kick — in football
  17. prune — to trim
  18. snap — to click
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  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