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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 120 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: can · band · suit · bore · bowl · wave · prune · fine

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bore — to drill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a music group
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wave — of the sea

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