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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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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pop — music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a document
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — soda
  16. file — a line of people
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. file — a tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tube — in a tire

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