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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rest — a break
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kick — in football
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. prune — to trim
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. kick — a thrill

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