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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bulb — for light

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