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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: wake · bulb · season · hand · rest · chip · nail · prune

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — help
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — a break
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chip — for betting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — of the year

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