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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rash — a series
  11. squash — the sport
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. suit — in cards
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitch — completely
  22. suit — clothes
  23. squash — to crush
  24. coach — a trainer

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