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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: object · prune · present · track · saw · pass · wave · bark

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. present — there
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. track — to keep track
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. track — a path
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. track — a song
  18. present — a gift
  19. pass — a permit
  20. object — a thing
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. pass — to spend time

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