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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 · perch · wave · bore · chair · wake · board · mouse

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. board — a committee
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bore — to tire

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