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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: wave · tear · bass · hide · prune · cue · lean · straw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — low music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. tear — from crying
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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