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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: prune · arm · present · hide · tube · racket · wave · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. present — a gift
  6. tube — a container
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a line of people
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. file — a document
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — the underground
  18. present — there
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — the fruit

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