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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
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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: land · wave · stick · prune · cabinet · field · wound · mate

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. land — a country
  5. field — a subject
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — ground
  16. mate — a partner
  17. field — farmland
  18. wound — an injury
  19. land — to come down
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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