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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — hurry
  9. present — a gift
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — the time now
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. present — there
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. key — in music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. prune — to trim

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