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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: prune · season · mug · snap · ruler · hand · bowl · rush

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — hurry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — of the year
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. snap — to click
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  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