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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 116 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: row · mug · bulb · wound · drill · prune · wave · wind

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. row — a line
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mug — a face
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — to trim

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