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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — there
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bound — certain
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. spell — letters
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bound — tied together
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — a gift
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pit — a hole
  21. present — the time now
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pit — in a race
  24. spell — a short time

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