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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lean — thin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — of a river
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — decided
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wax — to grow
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. firm — a company
  20. rash — a series
  21. drill — a practice
  22. firm — steady
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — on the skin

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