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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · pop · wind · mine · prune · wave · nail · coach

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wind — moving air
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — soda
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pop — to visit

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