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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: spell · wave · prune · leaves · staff · club

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spell — letters
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spell — magic
  10. club — for golf
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. club — for dancing
  14. staff — a stick
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — a group

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