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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: jam · prune · foot · wound · suit · mouse · rush · last

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rush — hurry
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. suit — in cards
  15. last — finally
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. last — final
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. jam — a tight spot

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