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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: present · wave · bear · bay · mine · prune · foot · fall

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fall — the season
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — there
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — a gift
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. present — the time now
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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