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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pop — soda
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. kick — in football
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. plane — a tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pop — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spell — magic
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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