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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: mouse · cell · rush · date · jam · arm · bank · prune

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rush — hurry
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cell — in biology
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bank — for money

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