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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. object — an aim
  7. wax — to grow
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. row — a line
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. deal — to handle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. object — a thing
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. object — to protest

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