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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: wave · prune · rush · pitch · wound · bore · mouse · chest

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — to drill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chest — a box
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. prune — to trim

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