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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. toast — bread
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rash — a series
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — to trim

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