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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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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: prune · bound · wave · pass · pop · bear · hand · arm

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pop — music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pop — to visit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pop — soda
  24. arm — part of the body

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