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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: object · kid · prune · perch · rush · bowl · wave · rock

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. object — to protest
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — an aim
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. object — a thing
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. kid — child
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rock — music

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