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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 · prune · rock · band · cue · bowl · wave · kick

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. band — a music group
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. band — a ring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — in football
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rock — music
  23. wave — with your hand
  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