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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 do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spell — letters
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mug — a cup
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spell — magic
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mug — to rob
  17. spell — a short time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — a face
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — the fruit

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