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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 · wave · present · sharp · patient · stem · prune · can

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — to come from
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. present — a gift
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — to protest
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — there
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. present — the time now
  24. can — a tin

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