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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — the season
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — wild animals
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. game — a match
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cue — a hint
  24. net — in sport

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