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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. band — a music group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — soda
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. band — a ring
  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