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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 120 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
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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: rock · hide · prune · rush · row · present · field · fork

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. present — there
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. field — for sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. field — a subject
  10. rock — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rock — to move gently

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