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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: date · can · wind · wound · wave · deal · prune · calf

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — to handle
  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