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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: object · wave · straw · roll · mouse · cell · stand · prune

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. object — an aim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a list
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cell — a phone
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cell — in biology
  20. object — to protest
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. object — a thing

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