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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hand — in cards
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — help
  16. club — for golf
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — to push
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. press — a publisher

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