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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: prune · arm · spring · hide · racket · wind · rash · ruler

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spring — the season
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rash — hasty
  21. spring — of water
  22. rash — a series
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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