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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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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: cell · wave · jam · kid · season · rock · mate · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kid — child
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cell — a phone
  8. kid — to tease
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mate — to breed
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. season — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. season — of the year
  24. rock — music

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