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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: mine · board · prune · racket · file · season · wave · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. file — a document
  7. board — to get on
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. season — of the year
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. file — a line of people
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. file — a tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. board — a committee
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — for digging
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. season — in sport
  24. rest — a break

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