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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: sharp · wind · present · pitch · bank · prune · wave · cabinet

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — there
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. present — the time now
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bank — of a river
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wind — moving air

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