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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 · fine · lash · prune · jam · saw · board · shower

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. shower — to wash
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — to get on
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rush — hurry
  21. board — a committee
  22. fine — all right
  23. shower — rain
  24. lash — to lash out

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