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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · prune · mouse · mine · cue · can · ground · wind

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — a tin

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