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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: mate · rush · prune · lean · chip · tube · row · band

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. band — a music group
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mate — to breed
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. row — a line
  10. lean — thin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chip — to eat
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tube — a container

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