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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: wave · spell · game · prune · bore · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — a match
  4. spell — letters
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. spell — magic
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — of the sea

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