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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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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: fall · pass · last · bowl · prune · mouse · cue · wound

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a hint
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. last — to go on
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. last — final
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. last — finally
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fall — the season
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mouse — the animal

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