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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bound — certain
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — to grow
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. current — of water
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bound — obliged
  13. net — after costs
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. current — happening now
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. net — for catching
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — tied together
  22. net — in sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. prune — to trim

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