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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 · rash · mark · ground · prune · safe · wake · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. band — a music group
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ground — the earth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ground — a position
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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