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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. row — to paddle
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. row — a line
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — shares
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rock — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — goods
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wax — for sculpting

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