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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: deal · pass · wave · saw · prune · chip · date · coach

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. prune — to trim
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. date — the fruit
  24. coach — a trainer

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