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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: prune · track · season · can · shower · stand · saw · wave

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. season — of the year
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. can — to be able to
  12. season — in sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — a path
  15. shower — rain
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stand — to bear
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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