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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wax — in the ear

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