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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. scale — size or range
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. safe — a strongbox

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