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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 116 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: rock · band · prune · cue · shower · wave · fine · saw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. shower — rain
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cue — a hint
  8. band — a music group
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — high quality
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fine — all right
  24. saw — the tool

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