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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 · mouse · lean · swing · fall · prune · race · fine

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. race — a contest
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lean — thin
  16. swing — music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — hurry

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