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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · object · prune · wave · patient · game · lie · straw

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — to recline
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. object — to protest
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — to be able to
  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