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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. field — a subject
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — in football
  11. charge — electricity
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — to sink
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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