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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: fine · prune · net · mouse · wave · leaves · wake · capital

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. capital — a city
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. net — in sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — money
  23. net — for catching
  24. mouse — for a computer

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