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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: rush · hand · bear · pit · prune · nail · plane · stock

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pit — a hole
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stock — goods
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stock — shares
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — in a race

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