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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: wave · rush · fan · squash · prune · spell · bound · object

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — a short time
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. object — to protest
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. object — an aim
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spell — letters
  20. object — a thing
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — of the sea

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