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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 116 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: staff · mouse · prune · bank · hand · wave · pound · squash

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — of a river
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. squash — the sport
  17. hand — in cards
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. hand — help
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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