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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 124 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: prune · present · hand · wave · row · rest · staff · nail

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. present — the time now
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — a stick
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. row — a line
  22. staff — employees
  23. hand — in cards
  24. prune — to trim

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