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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a ring
  14. foot — a measure
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — to trim
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. jam — a tight spot

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