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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · roll · wave · prune · cabinet · bore · wound · pitch

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. roll — a cake
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. roll — a list
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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