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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 120 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: chip · bear · drill · prune · leaves · wake · wave · lie

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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