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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wax — to grow
  9. staff — employees
  10. pass — a permit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. capital — money
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bore — to drill
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. capital — a city
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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