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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: saw · prune · wound · stick · mark · ball · dip · wind

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a great time
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mark — a trace

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