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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 116 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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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: prune · last · cold · racket · wave · lie · dip · ruler

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — final
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cold — not warm
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — a loud noise

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