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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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468
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: nail · tube · prune · wave · fall · chip · pop · arm

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. tube — a container
  24. chip — in a computer

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