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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: saw · track · shower · wave · deal · prune · stem · perch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — the fish
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. track — a path
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stem — to come from
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — an agreement

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