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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 116 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: net · swing · bank · sharp · mug · prune · rest · rush

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mug — to rob
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — clever
  10. net — after costs
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. swing — in golf
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — a face
  20. swing — music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mug — a cup
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — in sport

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