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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · arm · saw · prune · spring · bark · wave · rock

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — the season
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. spring — a coil
  10. prune — to trim
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. leaves — to go away

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