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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 · band · bear · stick · straw · mate · plane · prune

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — a friend
  5. plane — a tool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — hurry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — to breed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — a partner
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. band — a music group
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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