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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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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. 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. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fine — all right
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — a law
  17. toast — bread
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fine — high quality
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. 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