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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.

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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 · rock · hand · plane · prune · chip · lean · board

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rock — a stone
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hand — help
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — a committee
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. board — to get on
  20. lean — thin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. hand — in cards

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