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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: fall · sharp · board · dip · mouse · prune · hand · wave

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. board — to get on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fall — the season
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a committee
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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