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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · prune · ball · pass · wave · file · season · arm

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — a country
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — of the year
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — in sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — a permit
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. land — ground
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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