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

Word bank: wake · dip · stick · fall · nail · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fall — the season
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — a trail
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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