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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: tube · prune · rush · last · wake · rash · bark · craft

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rash — hasty
  4. last — final
  5. rash — a series
  6. tube — the underground
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. craft — a skill
  11. last — to go on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. last — finally
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bark — to shout
  20. craft — boats
  21. rush — hurry
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — on the skin

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