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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.

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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 · chip · suit · rest · wound · cabinet · prune · hide

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. suit — to fit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chip — for betting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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