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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. prune — to trim
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — to sink
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wax — in the ear
  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