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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spell — letters
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spell — magic
  16. current — happening now
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — of water
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — a loud noise

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