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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: mate · bank · wind · wave · wake · file · prune · rock

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. file — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bank — of a river
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wind — moving air
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wake — a trail
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rock — music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. file — a document
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bank — for money

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