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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. chip — for betting
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — a partner
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chip — to eat
  19. band — a music group
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. wax — to grow

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