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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. march — music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — magic
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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