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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hand — help
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — magic
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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