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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 124 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. field — for sport
  5. wax — to grow
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — rain
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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