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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. present — there
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rest — a break
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — a gift
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. present — the time now
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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