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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 116 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cell — in a prison

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