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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: squash · mate · hide · prune · wave · bore · bass · bulb

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bass — low music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mate — a partner
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. prune — to trim

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