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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: can · wave · lash · season · mouse · wind · chest · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chest — a box
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chest — of your body
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. can — a tin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. season — of the year
  24. wave — with your hand

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