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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: prune · sharp · wave · cold · tube · net · bowl · cue

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. net — after costs
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. net — in sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tube — a container
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tube — the underground
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. net — for catching
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — the Cold War

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