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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: stand · prune · row · club · wound · staff · bowl · wave

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. staff — employees
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. staff — a stick
  8. club — for golf
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — a group
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stand — to bear
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. staff — employees

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