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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.

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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: wave · prune · spell · pop · content · saw · firm · sharp

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spell — a short time
  4. firm — a company
  5. content — happy
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. content — the amount
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pop — soda
  18. firm — steady
  19. sharp — clever
  20. firm — decided
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pop — music
  24. wave — with your hand

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