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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. content — the amount
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wax — to grow
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. court — of law
  11. content — happy
  12. suit — in cards
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rush — hurry
  15. court — of a king
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lean — thin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. content — videos and posts

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