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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — the time now
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — the season
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — there
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — to grow
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — a price
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. present — a gift

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