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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — there
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. craft — boats
  8. can — a tin
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. object — an aim
  16. present — the time now
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. object — a thing
  23. wax — to grow
  24. can — a tin

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