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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wax — to grow
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. scale — in music
  23. charge — a price
  24. plane — a tool

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