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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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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: prune · mug · fork · rash · rock · wave · stand · snap

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — a series
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rock — a stone
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to click

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