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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: arm · present · net · wave · saw · prune · rule · dip

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. present — there
  6. rule — government
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — in sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rule — a law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — the time now
  19. net — after costs
  20. saw — the tool
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — for catching

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