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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mark — a grade
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — the vegetable

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