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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
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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: season · spring · prune · squash · saw · wave · net · nail

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — a coil
  6. net — for catching
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — in sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. squash — the sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — to crush
  24. saw — the tool

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