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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 equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lean — thin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. squash — to crush
  10. prune — to trim
  11. net — for catching
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — after costs
  15. squash — the sport
  16. net — in sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  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