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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: wave · foot · present · fork · clip · stand · prune · swing

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fork — in a road
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. present — the time now
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. swing — music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. clip — a video
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. swing — in golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — a gift
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stand — to bear

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