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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: prune · key · sharp · bore · cue · last · wave · bay

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. last — final
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. last — finally
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. prune — to trim
  15. last — to go on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bore — to tire
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a hint
  20. sharp — clever
  21. key — in music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bay — a part 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