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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — steady
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — a short time
  9. shower — rain
  10. firm — decided
  11. spell — letters
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. spell — magic
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. firm — a company
  19. shower — to wash
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wax — to grow
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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