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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. race — humankind
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mate — to breed
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chip — for betting
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. race — a contest
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mate — a partner
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wax — in the ear

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