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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: net · coach · rule · cue · prune · wave · mark · spring

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. cue — a hint
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — a law
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cue — for pool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — of water
  15. net — after costs
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. net — in sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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