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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: mine · object · net · wave · tube · rock · prune · stick

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — in sport
  5. object — an aim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — for catching
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. tube — a container
  19. net — after costs
  20. object — a thing
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. prune — to trim

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