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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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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: wave · arm · squash · stand · bore · swing · clip · prune

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. clip — to cut
  7. swing — music
  8. clip — a video
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stand — to bear
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — the sport

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