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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: prune · safe · dip · wind · wave · suit · game · club

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — clothes
  3. dip — to sink
  4. prune — to trim
  5. club — for golf
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. club — a group
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. club — for dancing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wind — moving air
  16. game — a match
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. suit — to fit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. prune — the fruit

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