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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitch — completely
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a cup
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. saw — the 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